Fire-escape.



A. STRENYO.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATIONFILED mp6, 1916.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, 14, 1917.

Application filed January 6, 1916. Serial No. 70,615.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDY STRENYO, a

. subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Cassandra, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which .the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire escapes.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a readily accessible foldable fire escape manipulated from within a room and provided for the safe descent out of a window to the ground below of ,occupants of the room in the event of a fire occurring in the building.

A further object is to provide a foldable fire escape ladder arranged beneath a window and manipulated from within the building, the same being obscured from view within the room and affording a ready means of escape therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fire escape that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and install in the outside walls of the rooms of a building for affording a ready means for allowing the occupants of the building to leave the same through the adjacent windows.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of the interior side wall of a room provided with the present device with the door member broken away, the floor of the room being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof with the ladder operatively extended and the casing partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same partially broken away with the building wall in horizontal section, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower weighted end of the ladder.

It being understood that the present fire escape is employed for the purpose of allowing persons .to escape from a burning building, the same is herein illustrated in connection with a building wall 10 having an outside window 11, the said wall having a chamber 12 therein opening into the room at the inner side 13 of the said wall and above the room floor 14 and directly beneath the sill 15 of the said window.

A normally closed door 16 is arranged for the chamber 12 being hinged as at 17 to the inner wall side 13 at the top of the door and at the upper inner edge of the chamber 12, the door having a knob or handle 18 by means of which the latter may be swung to its open position whenever desired.

A hollow cylindrical casing 19 is positioned in the chamber 12 and has the forward side thereof projecting through the rectangular opening 20 in the outer side 21 of the chamber 12, the outwardly projecting portion 22 of the said casing having a longitudinal slot 23 adjacent its lower edge while a plurality of spaced horizontally arranged steps or rungs 24 are provided upon the said casing directly beneath the window 11, whereby an occupant of the room may step over the window sill 15 and leave the room through the window 11 by descending over the said steps 24:.

An axle 25 is axially j ournaled within the casing 19 having a ratchet wheel 26 and a crank handle 27 arranged upon one end 28 thereof which projects exteriorly of the casing 19 within the chamber 12. A pawl 29 is swingingly mounted upon the adjacent end of the casing 19 being normally in contact with the ratchet 26.

A ladder formed of flexible side members such as ropes 31 connected together by parallel bars or rungs 32 is reeled upon the axle 25 and shiftably extends through the casing slot 23. A weight or anchor 33 is attached to the lower end of the ladder 30 so that when the ladder is inoperatively reeled or wound upon the axle 25, the door 16 may be opened from within the building by means of the knob 18 and upon releasing the pawl 29, the weight 33 will automatically unwind the ladder 30 to its substantially vertical operative position outside of the building and adjacent the wall 10 thereof. It will be noted that thereafter, the crank 27 may be turned for rewinding the ladder upon the axle 25 for positioning the latter within the casing 19 and at which times the weight 33 will be arranged adjacent and in closing position with respect to the slot 23.

The casing 19 is preferably secured to the chamber side '21 by means of hold-fast devices 34 extending through oppositely projecting ears or lugs 35 carried by the casing and attached to the said side. It will be evident that a serviceable fire escape is provided which is readily manipulated both in the winding and unwinding operation, while only the door 16 is normally viewable from within the room.

While the form of the invention is herein shown and described as what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

WVhat I claim as new is a A device of the type described, including in combination with a room wall, having an outside window therein and an inwardly opening chamber arranged beneath the Window, a stationary cylindrical casing within said chamber, having a segment thereof projecting outwardly through said chamber opening, the projecting segment having a longitudinal slot thereinand provided with ladder forming rungs upon the periphery, an axle journaled within said casing, pawl and ratchet mechanism for controlling said axle, a crank actuating means for said axle a flexible ladder normally wound upon the axle, and having one end extending out- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ANDY STRENYO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. 0.? 

